Detachable gear unit



I. VON K. HOTT 'DETACHABLE GEAR UNIT oct. 7,1930.

Filed April 20, 1927 ATTFPNEY Patented Oct. 7, 1930i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ION VON KERT I-IOTT, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE JOYCE-CRIDLAND COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO DETAGHABLE GEAR Unir Appiircation flied April 2o,

This invention relates to a detachable gear unit and is designed more particularly for the purpose of enabling a motor to be ap lied to and to operate a lifting jack.

ne object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of this kind which, as a unit, may be attached to and detached from the operating mechanism of a lifting jack, and which will have means for connectingV a motor therewith, thus enabling a hand operated jack to be quickly and easily converted into a power operated jack, with the necessary reduction of the speed of the motor as applied to the lifting element ofthe jack.

A further object of the invention is to provide' such a mechanism which will be very simple in its construction, of a strong durable character and which can be mounted on `the jack in different positions with relation thereto.

Gther objects of the invention will appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a` gear unit embodying my invention, showing the same applied to a lifting jack; Fig. 2 is a rsection taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; andV F ig. 3 is a section taken on the line 8'-3 of Fig. 1. Y

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and have shown the same as applied to a lifting jack of a well known type but it Will be understood "that this embodiment has been chosen for the purpose of illustration only and that the device itself may take various forms and that it may be applied to jacks or other devices of various kinds.

The jack shown in the present drawings comprises a base 1 having mounted thereon a hollow upright standard 2 provided near its upper end with a nut 3 in which `is mounted a screw threaded lifting element 4.1i

Mounted on the upper end of the lifting element is a loadengaging member 5 and depending 'therefrom is a housing 6 which embraces the standard 2 and serves to guide the lifting element in its movement. Se cured to the screw near the top thereof, is a beveled gear 7 with which meshes a second 1927. Serial No. 185,319.

beveled gear 8 which is rigidly secured to a shaft 9 journaled in a bearing 10 carried by the housing 6. A jack of this type is usually actuated by an operating lever which is'connected with` the shaft 9 through suitable pawl and ratchet mechanism. F or this purpose the outer end portion of the shaft 9 is usually hexagonal, as shown at 11, to receive the ratchet wheel.

`In applying a motor to a lifting jack of this type it is necessary that the speed of the motor be materially reduced as applied .to the jack operating mechanism and for this purpose it is necessary to inter-pose between the motor and the jack suitable reducing gearing. In carrying out the present inven-g tion I have assembledthe reducing gearing and its supporting structure as a unit and have provided the same withV means Where by it may be connected with and supported by a part of the operating mechanism for the jack, preferably the squared end of the operating shaft 9, the operating mechanism being connected with one of the gears, and

another of the gears having means, such as a spindle, for connecting it with a motor. 'Ihus the gear unit may be applied to the jack by removing the ratchet wheel and substituting therefor the gear unit and then applying a motor to the gear unit. The gear unit is also of such a character that it can be con-A nected with the operating mechanism ofthe jack in different positions with relation thereto, thus enabling the motor to be located on either side of the jack.

VIn the particular embodiment of the in-` vention here illustrated the gear unit comprises a supporting structure which is vpreferably in the form of a housing comprising side walls12 and 13 each of which has a central bearing 14. Arranged within this housing is a gear, here shown as a worm gear 15, having a hub 16, the end portions of which constitute trunnions and are journaled in the bearings 14; of the housing. Both ends of the hub 16 are provided with hexagonal openings 'or sockets 17 each of which is adapted to receive the hexagonal end of the ack operating shaft and to thus connect the worm gear with that shaft and to support the gear and the housing on the shaft. The housing has at one side thereof and preferably arranged substantially tangently thereof, a supplemental compartment 18 provided at its respective ends with bearings 19 and 20. Mounted within this supplemental compartment of the housing is a second gear, here shown as a worm 21, which meshes with the worm wheel 15. This worm is carried by a shaft 22, the end portions of which are journaled in the bearings 19 and 2O and one end of which eX- tends beyond its bearings and constitutes a spindle 23 by means of which a motor may be connected with the worm. The worm may be rotated in either direction, to raise or lower the load on the ack, and l have therefore interposed thrust bearings 24 between the ends of the worm and the respect-ive bearings 19 and 20, so that when the worm is rotated in either direction one or the other of these bearings will take the thrust exerted thereon. Preferably the gear unit is provided with means to hold the same against rotation as a whole and, as here shown the housing is provided at one side with a vert-ical socket 25 adapted to receive a rod Q6 and having a set screw 27 bymeans of which the rod may be secured in adjusted positions therein. This rod has one end bent or offset so'that it will enga-ge the housing of the j ack and resist the torsional strain on the gear unit, thus preventing the housing of the'gear unit from rotating with the shaft and relieving` the worm shaft of strain. By securing the rod in the socket the offset portion thereof may be caused to engage either above or below the worm, according to the direction of movement of the latter. When the gear unit is applied to a jack of the type here shown it is preferable that the rodshall engage the housing of the jack but obviously it would function in the same manner if caused to engage any relatively stationary structure.

The housing may be constructed in various ways. In the present instance, the side walls 1Q and 13 are disk-like in .shape and the member 13 has an annular flange 28, the outer edge of which is seated in an annular recess 29 in the edge of the side member 12. Both members arev provided with ears or lugs 30 to Vreceive screws 31 by means of which the two members are connected one to the other. This flange serves to rigidly connect the side members and vretain them in proper relation to form the main compartment of the casing, in which the worm gear 15 is mounted. If desired, the two side members may be provided with forwardly extending annular ribs 32 to engage the worm wheel near the periphery thereof and guide the same. The housing thus formed is fluid tight and may be filled with oil or 'other lubricant so that the gears will run in an oil bath. The bearing'lf) is preferably sealed by a closure 33 and the bearing 20 is provided with a stuffing box 34; so as to prevent the escape of oil from the housing.

lVhile I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to thedetails thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, whatl claim as new and desire vto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. ln a detachable gear unit for converting a hand operated lifting jack into a power operated lifting jack, a supportingl structure, a gear rotatably mounted on said structure and-havin means for detachably connectingl the saine with the operating sli-aft of a lifting j ack and for supporting said struct-ure on said shaft, a second gear mounted on said structure and operatively connected with the first mentioned gear, means for detachably connecting said second gear with a motor, said supporting structure having a socket at one side thereof, and a rod mounted in said socket and arranged to engage a relatively fixed part to hold said structure against rotation.

2. In a detachable gear unit for converting a hand operated lifting jack into a power operated lifting jack, a supporting structure, a gear rotatably mounted on vsaid structure and having means for detachably connecting the same with said operating shaft of a lifting jack, said shaft constituting the sole snpport for said gear and said structure, a seconc gear mounted on said structure and operatively connected with the first mentioned gear, means for detachably connecting said second gear with a motor, and a device connected with said structure and movable therewith to engage a relatively fixed part to limit the rotation of said structure. 7

ln a detachable gear unit for converting a hand operated lifting jack into a power operated lifting'v jack, a supporting structure, a gear rotatably mounted on said structure and having means for detachably connecting the same with the operating shaft of a lifting jack, said shaft constituting the sole support for said gear and said structure, a second gear mounted on said structure and operatively connected with the first mentioned gear, means for detachably connecting said second gear with a motor, and a rod connected with said structure and adapted to engage a relatively fixed part to hold said structure against rotation.

lf. In a detachable gear unit for converting a hand operated lifting jack into a power operated lifting jackfa supporting structure, a l*gear rotatably mounted on said structure and having means for detachably connecting the same with the operating shaft of a lifting jack, said shaft constituting the sole supn port for said gear and said structure, a second gear mounted on said structure and operatively connected with the first mentioned gear7 means for detachably connecting said second gear with a motor, a rod connected with said structure and adapted to engage a relatively liXed part to hold said structure against rotation, and means for securing said rod in adjusted positions with relation to said structure.

5. In a detachable gear unit for converting a hand operated lifting jack into a power operated lifting jack, a supporting structure, a gear rotatably mounted on said structure and having means for detachably connecting the same with the operating shaft of a lifting jack, said shaft constituting the sole support for said gear and said structure, a second gear mounted on said structure and operatively connected with the lirst mentioned gear, means for detachably connecting said second gear with a motor, a rod, and means for mounting said rod on said structure in either an upwardly or downwardly extending position whereby it may he caused to engage a relatively lixed part and hold said structure against rotation in either direction.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature hereto. ION VON KERT HOTT. 

